Text reads, “tvo kids + Fifth Ground Entertainment Original”

A kid says, WEE!

(Giggling)

A bee flies over dandelions in a field.

Text reads, “Leo’s Pollinators.”

Leo says, IT'S ME, LEO!
THE EXPLORER CLUB
IS ON A NEW MISSION.
WE'RE HELPING THE POLLINATORS,
THOSE AMAZING CREATURES
WHO MOVE POLLEN
FROM ONE PLANT TO ANOTHER.
POLLEN IS THE STUFF
THAT HELPS MAKE OUR FRUITS,
VEGETABLES, AND FLOWERS.

A bee pollinates a pink flower.

Text reads, “‘Nator Navigator”

Leo continues, WITHOUT OUR POLLINATORS,
FLYING, BUZZING,
SLITHERING AROUND,
WE'D ALL BE GOING HUNGRY.
EVEN ME!
HOUSTEN AND CHLOE ARE IN THE
FIELDS HELPING THE EXPERTS.
SO GRAB YOUR BOOTS
AND YOUR NET,
AND YOU CAN BE A POLLINHEAD TOO.

Text reads, “Leo’s Pollinators Explorer Club”

Leo, a red and blue fish, swims at the bottom of a lake in front of two monitors. An ant is on the screen of one monitor. The other monitor reads, “Labour Day Ant.”

Leo says, LASIUS NEONIGER, ALSO
KNOWN AS THE LABOUR DAY ANT
IS AN INTERESTING LITTLE
INSECT, POLLINHEADS.
LEO: ANTS ARE SO UNDERSTUDIED.
ARE THEY PESTS, OR ARE THEY A
MISUNDERSTOOD POLLINATOR PAL?
ANTS ARE AT THE TOP
OF THE 'NATOR NAVIGATOR.

An ant crawls on a yellow flower.

Text reads, Ants.

Leo continues, IT'S TIME FOR LEO,
PEST DETECTIVE.
ARE ANTS HELPFUL OR HARMFUL?
FIRST, LET'S LOOK AT
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT ANTS.

(Buzzing)

Leo continues, JUST LIKE BEES LIVE IN A HIVE
ANTS LIVE IN AN UNDERGROUND
COMMUNITY CALLED A COLONY.
THEY ALSO BOTH HAVE A QUEEN.
HMM.
THEY'RE VERY STRONG, DESPITE
THEIR TEENY, TINY SIZE.
THEY CAN LIFT UP TO TEN TIMES
THEIR BODY WEIGHT.
THAT WOULD BE LIKE YOU
LIFTING A CAR.
INTERESTING.

A map of the world shows images of ants on every continent.

Leo continues, THEY CAN BE FOUND ON EVERY
SINGLE CONTINENT
EXCEPT FOR ANTARCTICA,
WHICH IS STRANGE
CONSIDERING THE NAME,
"ANT"-ARCTICA.
LET'S FACE IT, ANTS ARE USUALLY
CONSIDERED PESTS,
BUT COULD THEY ACTUALLY BE MORE
HELPFUL THAN WE THOUGHT?
THERE'S A MYSTERY AFOOT.
LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER.

Ants crawl on the stem of a leafy green plant.

Leo continues, ANTS ACTUALLY CARRY NUTRIENTS
TO PLANTS,
OPEN UP SPACE FOR THEIR ROOTS
AND MOVE 10 TIMES MORE SOIL
THAN WORMS!
THAT MEANS, NO ANTS,
NO PLANTS!

An ant is covered with yellow pollen.

Leo continues, BUT JUST HOW MUCH POLLINATING
ARE THESE LITTLE INSECTS DOING?
THAT'S THE MYSTERY FOR OUR
POLLINHEADS TO UNCOVER.
THEY'RE HELPING OUT EXPERT,
AARON FAIRWEATHER,
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH.

A map of Southern Ontario shows an orange flag highlighting Guelph.

Leo continues, TOGETHER,
THEY'LL COLLECT SAMPLES,
STUDY ANT COLONIES
AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS,
TO TRULY DIG TO THE BOTTOM
OF THIS MYSTERY,
PEST DETECTIVE STYLE.

(Soft acoustic guitar music)

Chloe and Housten stand at the end of a large field of leafy crops.

Chloe says, I THINK THESE MIGHT BE
THE SMALLEST CREATURES
WE'VE STUDIED YET.

Chloe and Housten kneel beside Aaron, who has long grey hair pulled into a ponytail. He wears wire-rimmed glasses, a pink button-down shirt, and khaki pants.

Text reads, Aaron Fairweather. University of Guelph. Researcher.

Aaron says, THEY MIGHT BE SMALL,
BUT THEY ARE MIGHTY!
THEY MOVE OVER TWO TIMES
THE AMOUNT OF SOIL
THAT EARTHWORMS DO, THEY
CYCLE NUTRIENTS INTO THE SOIL,
THEY EAT A BUNCH
OF PEST SPECIES,
AND THEY CAN LIFT UP TO
10 TIMES THEIR BODY WEIGHT.

Ants crawl over grey dirt.

Housten says, HUH? I THOUGHT THAT ANTS
WERE JUST LITTLE PESTS?
Aaron says, NO, THEY ACTUALLY DO A LOT
MORE GOOD THAN HARM FOR HUMANS,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY
MIGHT DO IS POLLINATION,
WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.

Chloe says, THAT'S AMAZING, BUT HOW CAN
WE CONVINCE PEOPLE
THAT ANTS ARE IMPORTANT?

Aaron says, WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE
OF WAYS, ONE OF WHICH
IS ACTUALLY DOCUMENTING
THEM ON THESE CROPS,
AND SEEING WHAT THEY'RE DOING
ON THE CROP FIELDS.

Housten says, WELL, WE POLLINHEADS
ARE HERE TO HELP.
WHAT DO YOU WANT US
TO DO TODAY?

Aaron says, SO, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE
LOOKING AT ANTS
IN THESE FIELDS
BY COLLECTING THEM.
SO, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING
IN PITFALL TRAPS,
WHICH ARE A CUP IN THE GROUND,
WITH A LID OVER IT,
AND WE'RE GONNA PUT OUT ONE
IN HERE,
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA
PACE OUT FIVE STEPS,
PUT ANOTHER TRAP IN,
FOR FIVE PITFALL TRAPS.

Chloe says, I CAN PACE OUT THE SPOTS
FOR THE TRAPS,
AND HOUSTEN,
YOU CAN DIG THE HOLES.

Aaron says, AND I'LL PUT THE LIDS
ON TOP.
TEAMWORK, JUST LIKE THE ANTS.

A tall tree grows beside the field of crops.

Chloe leads Housten and Aaron through the crops. Chloe wears bright yellow rubber boots.

Housten says, ONE, TWO, THREE,
FOUR FIVE.
RIGHT HERE?

Aaron says, YEP.

Houston says, YEP. OKAY.

(Upbeat music)

Houston digs a hole in dirt using a trowel. Aaron places a yellow plastic cup in the hole, then pours a jug of water into the cup.

Aaron says, SO, WE FILL IT UP WITH
A LITTLE BIT OF SOAPY WATER,
AND THAT MAKES IT SO WHENEVER
THE ANT FALLS IN,
CAN'T GET BACK OUT, SO WE HAVE
A COLLECTION OR A SAMPLE
THAT WE CAN TAKE
BACK TO THE LAB.
AND THEN, WE COVER IT
WITH A PLATE.

Chloe asks, DO THESE CUPS TRAP
OTHER INSECTS?

Aaron says, YEAH, THEY DO.
SO, WE GET ANTS
AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER
INSECTS AND INVERTEBRATES,
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR US
BECAUSE IT SHOWS US WHAT OTHER
CREATURES
THAT THE ANTS ARE INTERACTING
WITH.
WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY
ARE THE ANTS A PART OF?

Four quadrants show Chloe pacing through the crops, Housten digging a hole, and Aaron placing a cup in the hole and putting a paper plate held up by wires several inches over the cup.

Chloe says, ONE, TWO, THREE,
FOUR FIVE.

Aaron says, ALL RIGHT, SO WHILE WE'RE
WAITING FOR THE PITFALL TRAPS
TO DO THEIR WORK, WE'RE GONNA
BE LOOKING AROUND THE FIELD
AND MAKING OBSERVATIONS
ABOUT OTHER ANTS.
WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION
TO THE GROUND,
WE'RE LOOKING FOR LITTLE HOLES,
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LEAVES,
TO SEE IF WE SEE ANY ANTS.

Ants crawl in a yellow flower.

Housten says, I SEE AN ANT, IN A FLOWER!

Chloe says, THIS HAS TO BE
PROOF THAT THEY'RE POLLINATING.

Aaron says, SO, THESE KINDS OF
OBSERVATIONS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE
OF ANT RESEARCH
AND POLLINATION RESEARCH.
SO, YOU CAN SEE INSIDE
THE FLOWERS,
THAT THE ANTS ARE INSIDE
THE NECTARIES -
THESE LITTLE POTS WHERE NECTAR
ACCUMULATES
AT THE BASE OF THE FLOWER.
AND THEN, WHILE THEY'RE
FEEDING IN THERE,
THE POLLEN FROM THE STAMEN IS
GONNA FALL ONTO THEIR BODIES,
AND THEY'RE GONNA WALK OUT
OF THE FLOWER,
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE, AND
TRANSFER THAT POLLEN AROUND.

Housten leans over the flower.

Housten says, WOW! HE'S A HUNGRY ANT.

Aaron says, ACTUALLY, THEY'RE ALL
FEMALES IN THE COLONY.
ALL OF THE WORKER ANTS
ARE FEMALE ANTS.

Chloe says, WHAT?

Aaron says, YEAH!
AND WHAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT
THIS IS YOU CAN SEE,
AS THE ANTS ARE LEAVING
THE FLOWERS,
THEY'RE USING THE STEMS ALMOST
LIKE HIGHWAYS,
TO TRAVEL FROM ONE FLOWER,
TO THE NEXT.
AND THEY'RE NESTING
IN THE BASE OF THE PLANT,
IN THE ROOT SYSTEMS,
AND THAT'S ALSO HELPING
THE PLANT THROUGH AERATION,
SO GIVING THE PLANT A LITTLE
BIT MORE AIR DOWN THERE,
AND CYCLING NUTRIENTS,
WHICH HELPS THE PLANTS GROW.

(Acoustic guitar music)

Housten, Chloe, and Aaron sit in a field. Aaron takes a small plastic container out of a backpack.

Aaron says, ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS ONE
OF MY LAB COLONIES,
AND WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE
OPEN HERE TO CHECK OUT.

Aaron opens the container. It contains sand and a blue bottle cap.

Housten says, WHOA!

Aaron says, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE ANTS
RUNNING AROUND THE SURFACE
THERE.
AND IN THIS CONTAINER, DESPITE
HOW SMALL IT MIGHT LOOK,
THERE'S ABOUT 10,000 ANTS
IN THIS THING.

Chloe says, 10,000 ANTS?
JUST THINK ABOUT HOW MANY
THERE ARE IN THE WORLD!

Aaron says, YEAH.

Housten says, THAT'S A LOT,
AND IT KINDA REMINDS ME
OF A BEEHIVE.

Aaron says, YEAH, IT KINDA DOES LOOK LIKE
A BEEHIVE,
IN TERMS OF ITS ORGANIZATION.
AND ANTS ARE SIMILAR IN TERMS
OF BEES, WITH HAVING A QUEEN.
AND ON THE SIDE, YOU CAN SEE
SOME OF THEIR TUNNELS,
ALL THE INTRICATE NETWORKS
THAT THEY'VE CREATED.
THERE'S DIFFERENT CHAMBERS
INSIDE OF THIS CONTAINER
IN WHICH THEY'LL CONTAIN SOME
OF THE WORKERS,
THERE WILL BE SOME BROOD, AND
THE QUEEN IN THERE, AS WELL.

An animation shows ants crawling through underground tunnels beneath an anthill. A large queen ant sits over small white eggs.

Chloe says, THIS IS ONE
COOL-LOOKING COLONY.

Aaron says, YEAH.
THEY ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT ROLES IN THE COLONY.
SO, SOME ANTS WILL LOOK
A LITTLE DIFFERENT
AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT JOBS,
THEY WILL DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THERE ARE SCOUTS, THERE ARE
SOLDIERS, THERE ARE WORKERS,
ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT STUFF.

Chloe says, ANTS ARE SO ORGANIZED.
THEY HELP CROPS,
AND THEY MIGHT BE POLLINATORS.
YOU WERE RIGHT,
ANTS ARE MIGHTY.

Aaron says, YEAH, THEY'RE PRETTY AMAZING
AND MY RESEARCH,
IN PARTICULAR, HAS BEEN SHOWING
THIS CONNECTION
BETWEEN ANTS AND FARMERS,
AND JUST HOW IMPORTANT
THEY ARE AS INDICATORS.
AND TRADITIONALLY, WE'VE SEEN
ANTS MOSTLY AS PESTS,
BUT IT TURNS OUT,
THAT IF YOU HAVE NO ANTS,
THERE'S NO PLANTS.

Leo swims in front of the monitors.

Text reads, “What’s the Buzz?”

Leo says, DETECTIVE LEO,
STILL ON THE CASE.
UNCOVERING THE UNDERESTIMATED
ANT -
PESTS, POLLINATOR PALS,
OR FARMERS,
THERE'S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
WITH THESE INSECTS,
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE
SO HARD TO SEE.
WHETHER OR NOT THESE ANTS
ARE POLLINATORS,
THEY'RE DEFINITELY FARMERS.
LEAF-CUTTER ANTS FARM FUNGI,
OR MUSHROOMS,
FOR FOOD FOR THEMSELVES,
BUT THEY'LL ALSO SHARE IT WITH
THEIR FAVOURITE LOCAL PLANTS.
SOME ANTS FARM BUGS,
LIKE APHIDS.

Aphids cover the green stem of a plant.

Leo continues, THE ANTS WILL CORRAL THE APHIDS
INTO A FLOWER,
WHERE THEY'LL DRINK UP
THE SWEET NECTAR
THAT THE ANTS LOVE SO MUCH.
WHILE THE APHIDS ARE COLLECTING
THE NECTAR,
THE ANTS WILL PROTECT THEM
FROM PREDATORS,
AND WHEN THE MISSION
IS COMPLETE,
THE ANTS CORRAL
THEM OUT TO AN AREA,
WHERE THEY WILL MILK THE APHIDS
OF ALL THAT SWEET NECTAR
THEY JUST DRANK.
LIKE LITTLE COW BUGS.
ENOUGH CHAT ABOUT FARMING ANTS.
BACK TO THE ACTION.

Leo holds a magnifying glass up to his eye. Housten, Chloe, and Aaron walk into the crops.

Aaron says, ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO CHECK
THE TRAPS NOW.

(Upbeat bluegrass music)

Aaron pulls a cup out of a hole, then pours the cup into a cylindrical container.

Aaron says, AND WE'RE ALL SET.
WE'RE GONNA GET THEM
UNDERNEATH THE MICROSCOPE.

Three ants crawl under a microscope.

Housten says, WHOA!

Aaron says, YOU CAN SEE ALL
THE LITTLE LEGS, RIGHT?
INSECTS HAVE SIX LEGS
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS
WE TELL THAT AN ANT
IS AN INSECT.

Housten says, I THINK IT HAS EIGHT.

Chloe says, NO, THOSE ARE THE
ANTENNAS, HOUSTEN.

Housten says, OH! WAIT, WHAT? OH!

Aaron says, YEAH, EXACTLY.
SO, THE TWO "LEGS"
AT THE HEAD, ARE THE ANTENNA.
THAT'S HOW THEY SENSE
THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
THEY'LL TAP AROUND
AND THEY'LL SEE,
OR KINDA SMELL THEIR
ENVIRONMENT,
LIKE WE WOULD WITH A NOSE,
BUT THEY DO IT WITH THEIR
ANTENNA.

An orange arrow points at an ant’s antenna.

Aaron continues, AND ANOTHER REALLY COOL THING
THAT I WANNA POINT OUT
IS AT THE END OF THEIR BUTT
THERE,
THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED
AN "ACIDOPORE"

An orange arrow points at the rear end of the ant.

Aaron continues, AND SOME ANTS HAVE STINGERS,
BUT THIS SPECIES,
IN PARTICULAR, HAS THIS
STRUCTURE CALLED THE ACIDOPORE.
AND THEY USE IT AGAINST
POTENTIAL PREDATORS.
INSTEAD OF STINGING, THEY BITE
AND NIP AT THEIR OPPONENT,
AND THEN SPRAY FORMIC ACID
OUTSIDE OF THEIR ACIDOPORE,
AND IT SMELLS REALLY BAD
AND IT STINGS A BIT,
AND IT USUALLY DETERS
A PREDATOR AWAY.

Chloe says, OH, SO IT'S LIKE
A REALLY, TINY, LITTLE SKUNK.

Aaron says, YEAH, EXACTLY.
AND YOU CAN SEE
AT THE HEAD HERE,
THEY HAVE QUITE BIG MANDIBLES,
AND THEY'RE USING THOSE
MANDIBLES
FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

An orange arrow points at pincer-like mandibles on the front of the ant’s head.

Aaron continues, THEY'RE PICKING UP ANY
OF THE INSECTS
THAT THEY SEE AROUND THEM.
THEY'RE ALSO USING THOSE
MANDIBLES TO PICK UP THE SOIL
AND MOVE IT AND BUILD THEIR
NESTS.

Ants crawl over rocky grey ground.

Aaron continues, WHILE THEY'RE UNDERNEATH
THE GROUND AND MOVING
ALL THESE THINGS AROUND,
THEY'RE ACTUALLY MANIPULATING,
AND MOVING,
AND GROWING FUNGI, TOO.
THERE'S BEEN SOME REALLY COOL
RESEARCH ON ANTS
AND THEIR ABILITY TO MOVE
MYCELIUM, OR FUNGI
FOUND AROUND THE ROOT SYSTEMS
OF PLANTS,
FROM PLANT TO PLANT,
AND THAT ACTUALLY HELPS THEM
GROW, AS WELL.

An animation shows an ant crawling through a tunnel with a small white oval.

Housten asks, IS MYCELIUM PLANT
FOOD?

Aaron says, THE PLANTS DON'T EAT
THE MYCELIUM THEMSELVES,
BUT THE NUTRIENTS
THAT THEY GIVE OFF.

Housten says, SO, WITHOUT ANTS,
WE WOULDN'T HAVE SQUASH,
ZUCCHINI, OR EVEN PUMPKINS!

Images of a squash, a zucchini, and a pumpkin disappear.

Aaron says, YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE LEARNING RIGHT NOW,
THAT WITHOUT THESE ANTS
PRESENT,
A LOT OF PLANTS WOULD SUFFER.

Chloe says, THANK YOU, ANTS!
HALLOWEEN WOULDN'T BE THE SAME
WITHOUT YOU.

Housten says, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT ANTS
WERE TRULY ANT-ASTIC!

Aaron says, THEY ARE, THAT'S WHY
MY RESEARCH IS SO IMPORTANT.
THANKS, POLLINHEADS,
FOR ALL YOUR HELP TODAY,
AND IN SPREADING SOME ANT
AWARENESS.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW
THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT
BECAUSE...

Everyone says, NO ANTS, NO PLANTS!

Chloe says, THIS DEFINITELY CALLS
FOR A HIGH FLY.

Housten says, SO, YOU PUT YOUR HANDS
IN THE MIDDLE,
AND YOU FLUTTER LIKE THIS,
AND THEN YOU GO IN THE SKY!

Housten, Chloe, and Aaron flutter their fingers, then raise their hands over their heads.

Everyone says, HIGH FLY!

Housten says, WOO-WOO!

(Giggling)

A flower with yellow petals and a blue centre spins in front of Leo. Text reads, Pollinheads Alert!

Leo says, POLLINHEADS ALERT!
LIKE AARON SAID,
WE NEED EVERYONE TO KNOW
NO ANTS, NO PLANTS!
SPREAD THE WORD, POLLINHEADS,
ANTS ARE A GARDENER'S BEST
FRIEND.
IF YOU COME ACROSS AN ANT HILL,
DON'T SQUASH IT!
THAT'S THE ENTRANCE TO THEIR
HOME.
THIS IS NEW SCIENCE,
POLLINHEADS,
AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW,
ANTS AREN'T PESTS,
THEY'RE POLLINATORS!
PLEASE SHARE THIS AMAZING STORY
ABOUT ANTS
SO EVERYONE CAN LOOK AT THEM
DIFFERENTLY.
WHEW! OKAY!
ALL THIS DETECTIVE WORK
HAS MADE ME SNACKY.
LATER, POLLINATORS!

End Credits. Directed and written by Kara Harun. Created by Karen Hawes and Christopher Szarka.
Produced by Christopher Szarka and Raj Panikkar. With Naomi Melvin as “Leo” and Chloe Drayton and Housten Daghighi.
Produced in Association with tvo Kids. Fifth Ground Entertainment. tvo Kids.